Coin-slot mechanism.



F. MEYER.

COIN SLOT MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1908.

921,553. Patented May 11, 1909;

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' P. MEYER. 00m SLOT MECHANISM.

921,553. m IIIIIIIII MD W 1atentedMay1L1909. I Ja i -.\imummumumnumnuuunmnnumF .mmlnuunnngmmm P. MEYER. COIN SLOT MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV.19, 1903.

Patented May 11, 1909.

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UNITED OFFICE.

FRED MEYER, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO DODSON VENDING MACHINE COMPANY,

OF DES MOINES, IOWA, A

CORPORATION OF IOWA.

COIN-SLOT MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED MEYER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Burlington, Des Moines county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Coin-Slot Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to rovide an improved construction for coin s ot controlling devices or mechanism, whereby a coin slot is closed against the introduction of a coin when the machine is empty, whereby spurious coins subject to magnetic influence may be withdrawn prior to the possible entrance of said coins to operative position in a coin controller, and whereby the thickness of coins may be tested and those which are too thin may be discarded.

A further object of this invention is to provide coin slot closing devices adapted to be acted upon by articles to be dispensed in a vending machine in such manner that said devices are held in open position so long as any of such articles are contained in the machine, and are permitted to close whenever the machine is empty of the articles to be vended.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the interior or working parts of the machine, together with a plan of the exterior of the machine in so far as it relates specifically to the coin slot closing devices. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the operative parts of the machine, in so far as they relate to vending devices, coin slot closing devices, and connec' tions between the vending devices and the other mechanism for closing the slot when the machine is empty. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the means employed for closing the coin slot.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 19, 1908.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the means employed for closing the slot, for opening the slot, and for testin the coin in respect of the material of which it is made and its thickness. Fig. 5 is a plan of the coin slot closing devices taken on a plane beneath the slot plate or cover of the machine.

I11 the construction of the device as shown, the numeral 10 designates a supporting frame composed of a plurality of posts, bars and Patented May 11, 1909.

Serial No. 463,483.

cross-bars suitably connected and provided with bearings wherever desired. The entire frame 10 may be inclosed in a suitable casing, such as is described and illustrated in my companion application relating to cigar vending machines. A shaft 11 is mounted for rotary oscillation in a horizontal plane in the frame 10. A block 12 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 11 near one end thereof. A shaft 13 is journaled for rotation in the frame 10 at right angles to the shaft 11 and in alinement with the central portion of the block 12. A crank-arm 14 is fixed to one end portion of the shaft 13 and a pin 16 is pivoted at one end in a slot in the block 12 and extends through the outer end portions of the crankarm 14.

The pin 15 is adapted to move to and fro in the slot in the block 12 and at the same time that end portion of the pin which passes through the crank-arm 14 is adapted to be moved by said crank-arm in a circle. The

result of such movement is an up anddown oscillation of the extreme end of the block 12, thus effecting the oscillation of the shaft 11 through an are a proximating to one-quarter revolution. A s eeve 16 is mounted for rotation in the frame 10 and is adapted to receive the outer end portion of the shaft 13. A crank-arm 17 is fixed to the outer end portion of the sleeve 16 and said crank-arm is designed to be located outside of any casing employed to inclose the remaining mechanism and devices. A pin 18 is fixed to and projects radially from the shaft 13 and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 19 pivoted on the inner end portion of the sleeve 16. A stop 20 in the sleeve limits movement of the pawl 19 in one direction, so as to present said pawl for operative contact with the pin 18 whenever the sleeve 16 is rotated in the desired direction by the crank 17, as indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1.

A jaw-frame 21 is pivoted on the frame 10 and the axis of articulation of the j aw-frame is parallel with the axis of the shaft 13 and at right angles to the axis of the shaft 11. A cross-bar is fixed to and extends transversely of the upper end portion of the jaw-frame 21 and also projects rearward therefrom. Loops or hinge members 23, 24 are mounted in the cross-bar 22 and are formed with eyes above and below said cross-bar. Jaws 25, 26 are ivoted on the loops or hinge members 23, 24 below and above the cross-bar 22 by means of rods 27, 28. The jaws 25, 26 extend rear ward from the rods 27, 28 and have teeth on their inner ends extending upwardly and downwardly respectively. The jaw-frame is adapted to be moved rearward and cause the teeth of the jaws 25, 26 to pass between cut ting devices and engage cigar cells 29 in a j holder 30 beneath a holder frame 31. The holder 30 is formed on the frame 10 and the holder frame 31 is pivoted on the frame-1O and there adapted conjunctively for temporary holding of cigar cell series preliminary to the engagement therewith of the jaws. Each cell is supposed to contain a cigar 32, and a series of the cells is contained in a box 33 suitably mounted within the frame 10 at the rear of the jaw-frame. Suitable devices are mounted on the jaw-frame and on the shaft 11. for operating the j aw-frame and the jaws thereon to engage and remove cigar cells in series from the holder 30 and holder frame 31, and suitable devices are operated by said shaft to sever the cigar cell series at predetermined times. These devices are illustrated, described and claimed in my companion applications pending concurrently herewith. A plate 62 is adapted to be mounted on the top of the casing employed to contain the mechanisms and said plate is formed with a coin slot 63. A bell-crank latch 64 is pivoted on the plate 62 and one arm thereof normally covers the coin slot 63. A knob 65 is formed on one arm of the bellcrank latch 64 by means of which said latch can be manipulated. The latch 64 is held in closed position over the slot 63 by a spring 66 anda stop 67 projecting upward from the plate 62 limits movement of said latch under the influence of the spring. A stop 68 jecting upward from the plate 62 limits movement of the latch 64 in opposition to the spring under manual actuation. A coin passage 69 extends downward from the slot 63 and is open at top and bottom. One side of the coin passage 69 is formed by a plate 70 rigidly fixed to the plate 62, and the opposite side of said coin passage is formed by a plate 71 pivoted at its rear end on a pin 72 which serves as a pivot for the bell-crank latch 64. The. latch is secured to the upper end of the pin 72 by a transverse pin 73 and the plate 71 is connected to said pin 72 by a coil spring 74 at one end whereby the pivotal movement of the plate on the pin is cushioned. The tendency of the spring 74 is to move the plate 71 away from the plate 7 0, and such tendency is limited and overcome by a hook 75 on said plate 7 O. The outer end portion of Y the plate 70 is turned inward to form a flange 76 adapted for engagement with the plate 71 at times. The length of the flange 76 is identical with the thickness of a proper coin or nickel five-cent-piece. A gate 77 is mounted rigidly on the pin 72 and is adapted to be moved by said pin to and fro through prol I an arc beneath the plates 70, 71 and intersect the coin passage 69. A stud 78 is fixed to and extends upward from the central portion of the gate 77 and is adapted to engage I the plate 71 at times and move said plate f toward the plate 70 against the resilience of the spring 74. Ears 79 are formed on and extend laterally from the rear end portion of the plate 70 and a latch 80 is pivoted at its rear end on a pin 81 vertically mounted in said ears. The latch 80 is formed with a flange or lip 82 adapted to extend across the upper face of the plate 70 and intersect'the coin passage 69 at its initial end adjacent the coin slot 63.

A coil spring 83 is mounted on the pin 81 and tends to move the latch 80 away from the plate 70 and hold the flange or lip 82 out of the coin passage. An arm 84 is I formed on and extends at right angles to the latch 80 and is pivoted to the forward j end of a lever 85. The lever 85 is formed with a slot 86 in its rear end adapted to receive a pin 87 on a crank-arm 88. The crank-arm 88 is fixed to and rises from a horizontal rod 89 arranged for oscillation on the frame 10 of the machine. The rod 89 is oscillated and held normally in one direction by a spring 90 connecting the arm 88 to a stationary portion of the frame 10, and may be moved in the opposite direction by elevation of a holder frame 31 fixed thereto and extending forward in such position as to be engaged and raised by a cigar 32 in a holder 30. Or the rod 89 may be moved against the resilience of the spring 90 by a lever 94 attached to one end thereof 1 and extending downwardly and forwardly across the jaw-frame 21 of the machine. Thus, when the cigar-holder 30 is empty, I the holder frame 31 will fall toward said holder and in so doing will move the rod 89, arm 88 and lever 94 into the positions shown by dotted lines. In such positions the arm 88 carries the pin 87 forward and causes j said pin to move the rod 85 forward and iswing the latch 80 in such manner that the lip 82 will intersect the coin passage 69 I and prevent the insertion of a coin to the machine through the slot 63. But when the holder frame 31 is upheld, either manually through the lever 94, or by a cigar j in the holder 30, the latch 80 is held away i from the plate 70 and the lip 82 is held out jof the coin passage 69. A coin chute 95 leads from the coin passage 69 to the l entrance of the coin controller. 5 An opening is formed in the upper end 1 portion of the coin chute 95 communicating j with a discharge chute 96, which discharge chute extends forward and downward on helical lines to a discharge spout or cup 97 on the exterior of the casing of the machine. j A magnet 98 is mounted at the upper end of the coin chute 95 and one arm of said 10,. mounted on the screw magnet is longer than the other and extends 1 plate, a bell-crank latch pivoted on said across the upper end of the opening in the 1 plate and springheld in one direction, stops front of said chute and is beveled and on said plate limiting movement of said curved rearwardly on its lower face. A latch in either direction, a gate pivoted begate 99 is pivoted on a screw 100 on the l neath said slot-plate and springheld in one coin chute 95, and an arm 101 is formed on direction, an arm pivoted to said gate, a and beveled downwardly and forwardly from shaft mounted for oscillation, an arm on said the upper end of said gate and extends i shaft engaging the first arm and springheld across said coin chute 95. A spring 102 in one direction, and a cigar-holder attached 100 tends to hold 1 to said shaft. the gate 99 inward in such position that 2. In a cigar-vending machine, a slotthe arm 101 thereof will extend in inclined 1 plate, a bell-crank latch-plate pivoted position across said coin chute and guide thereon and adapted to cover the slot, said an object thereon in rolling motion to the latch-plate normally held in closed position discharge chute 96. The lower end portion by a spring, a gate pivoted beneath said of the gate 99 extends within the orbit of slot-plate and adapted to close said slot, a slotted bar pivoted to said gate, a holder travel of a moving part of the coin con troller and is adapted to be engaged thereby frame mounted for oscillation, and connections between said holder frame and slotted and moved into the position shown in Fig. 2,

' bar.

when the handle 17 is in proper position (directed upwardly) for the insertion of a 3. In a cigar-vending machine, a plate coin to the machine. It has been explained formed with a slot, a latch-plate pivoted that when the cigar-holder is empty, the thereon and springheld in closing position, a latch 80 closes the coin slot and prevents l gate pivoted beneath the slot-plate and the insertion of a coin until the bell-crank spring held in position to close said slot, a latch 64 is opened by manual actuation. slotted arm leading from said gate, a rod, an When the handle 17 is not directed uparm connecting said rod and slotted arm and wardly and the cigar-holder contains a cigar, 1 springheld in one direction, and a holder a coin can be introduced through the coin frame fixed to said rod and adapted to be slot 73 to the passage 69 and will be disraised and lowered either manually or by a 73 into the cigar passing beneath said frame. If the coin or check is spurious 4. In a cigar-vending machine, a plate formed with a slot, a gate pivoted beneath said plate and adapted to close said slot at times, said gate springheld in one direction, a slotted arm pivoted to said gate, and means acted upon by a cigar in a holder whereby said slotted arm is caused to move said gate into open position.

5. In a cigar-vending machine, a plate formed with a coin slot, a gate pivoted beneath said plate and springheld in position to close said slot, a slotted bar pivoted to said gate, a rod mounted for oscillation, connections between said rod and slotted bar, a holder frame on said rod adapted to be engaged by successive cigars in movement through the machine, and a lever attached to said rod and adapted for manual actuation to raise said holder frame.

Signed by me at Burlington, Iowa, this 16th day of November, 1908.

1 FRED MEYER. 1

charged out of the passage chute 95. and subject to magnetism, it will be engaged by the projecting end portion of the magnet 98 and will roll beneath the rounded or beveled portion thereof into the discharge chute 96. If the coin is of proper thickness but the handle is not in proper position, it will be retained until the bell-crank latch 64 is released, and then it will fall upon the arm 101 and be directed by said arm to the discharge chute 96 and thence to the cup 97 outside the machine, where it can be repossessed by the operator. If the handle is in proper position and the coin or check is not subject to magnetism, then upon the releasing of the plates said coin will fall through the chute 95, the gate being oscillated to move the arm 101 out of the way because of the proper positioning of the plate 45 and shoulder 103. The coin will continue through the chute 95 and coin controller into a position to be employed to connect moving parts of the coin controller and operate the feeding devices. IVitnesses:

I claim as my invention T. G. HARPER, 1. In a cigar-vending machine, a slot- S. C. SWEET. 

